40,000 students apply for a competitive scholarship every year. Two are chosen, and this year, one of them is from Mississippi.
Greenwood’s Sunjay Chawla is a high school senior, athlete, leader in his community and a winner of the Wendy’s High School Heisman for 2018.
The award is a $5,000 scholarship given to one male and one female student exceeding in academics, sports and community service.
Chawla, who goes to Pillow Academy, admits balancing a busy schedule is hard work, but that it pays off.
“You’re going to have to sacrifice a lot," he said. "It’s going to be aggravating at some times, but you just have to accept that and just continue to work hard and do your greatest at school and it will all work out in the end.”
Rodney Brown is the head of school at Pillow Academy. He said Chawla’s accomplishments are encouraging for all students in Mississippi, a state U.S. News and World Report ranks 46th for education.
“Just the fact that we now see that someone from the state of Mississippi can actually win just gives hope and motivation to kids that they’re going to do what they need to do to be the next Sunjay," he said. "A positive light has been shone on Greenwood Mississippi, Pillow Academy and the state of Mississippi.”
Chawla graduates in May 2019 and is deciding where he will go to college.
